Budget Boosters

35 Easy Ways to Stretch Your Food DollarsBy Joanne Camas

10 Cooking Tips

Cook batches

If you have time over the weekend, make large quantities of your favorite dinners. Set aside enough to serve the next night, and freeze additional batches for days when dinner's a rush. (Freeze promptly so teenagers don't polish off the extras…) Lasagna and chili are easy to make and freeze.

Buy the tougher cuts, which are less expensive, and stew, roast or marinate to tenderize and add more flavor. Slow cookers make deliciously rich and tender pork-shoulder and beef-chuck dishes. Also, try grilling skirt steak or flank steak this summercut the meat against the grain and serve with a zesty sauce or salsa.

Use whole grains

While brown rice and quinoa are delicious and nutritious in their own right, you can also use them as fillers in soups and stews. A handful of brown rice will stretch a pot of Vegetable Sausage Soup. Adding extra cooking broth and some quinoa to Moroccan Slow-Cooked Lamb Stew will make for a hearty dinner with enough leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.

Easy, nutritious, filling, and inexpensive, soup is the ultimate money-stretcher. Throw in leftover veggies or protein, homemade stock, pasta or rice, and lentils or beans. Heat yourself up in winter with a hearty lentil soup, or chill with an icy gazpacho in the dog days of summer. Add a side of crusty whole-wheat bread, and it's a meal.

Fresh herbs add a flavor boost to any dish. If you find you have extras, whip up a quick sauce or pesto for use later in the week. Parsley Oregano Sauce can be served over roasted meat, fish, or rice, and you can experiment with a classic pesto to brighten up pastas, soups, and even sandwiches. If you prefer to freeze your herbs for later use, finely chop them, place them in an ice cube tray, cover with oil, and then plastic wrap and freeze. When frozen, pop out the cubes and place them in a freezer bag for easy storage. Next time you need herbs for soups, pastas, sauces, or other preparations, just add a cube to your recipe.

Make your own snacks

You can reduce your food bill by reducing your snacking. Packaged snacks are expensive, often loaded with sugar and fat, and full of chemicals you can't even pronounce. If you're a compulsive snacker, switch to homemade treats such as homemade party mix. Another good choice? Ginger-Garlic Hummus is a dip-with-a-kick for dunking baby carrots or pepper slices.

Employ leftovers quickly

Don't push leftovers to the no-man's-land at the back of the fridge. Make sure you use them promptly, either for lunch or another dinner. Turn leftover roast chicken into chicken enchiladas, a small piece of steak into hearty steak salad sandwiches, and day-old rice and vegetables into a quick and delicious stir-fry.